HARARE — A 40-year-old New Bluffhill man was remanded in custody on Tuesday after his four unmuzzled dogs fatally mauled a pedestrian, the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) has said.
Mike Mupinga appeared before the Harare Magistrates’ Court facing a charge of culpable homicide and will return to court on June 5 for a bail ruling.
Prosecutors allege that on the night of May 31, Mupinga negligently left his dogs — three pit bulls and a rottweiler — roaming freely in his rented yard, which is secured only by a low brick wall. He then went inside his house, leaving the unmuzzled dogs unsupervised.
The dogs reportedly scaled the perimeter wall and attacked Samuel Machara, who was walking along a nearby street. The animals bit him multiple times, inflicting deep neck wounds and severe lacerations on his hands, legs and stomach. Machara died from the injuries.
The NPAZ said Mupinga’s alleged negligence directly led to the fatal attack.
The case has sparked renewed debate on dangerous dog ownership and public safety laws in residential areas.
